Not so much a general sports blog as an irregularly updated desperate plea for help.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

LIVE blog - Canada v Kazakhstan

Below the jump3:43 - A little late to the party -- technical issues, but here we are...

And it's 1-0 Canada already. I'm singing the national anthem as we speak.

3:46 - And, if you are reading, comment for the love of all that is good. German beat Kazakhstan 9-0 yesterday. Germany!

3:47 - Russia up 4-2 on the Finns. If you ever wanted to know what it would look like for the Kitchener Rangers to play the Quinte Red Devils midget AAAs, you must be in heaven right now. Shots are 7-1 Canada, about 5min in.

3:50 - We are learning that Kazakhstan has a u-20 player pool of 30. So roughly the size of Gull Lake, Sask. Canada to the PP by the way.

3:54 - Goal. On the PP. Jamie Benn. And my stream is awful...At what point do the old guys wearing red and white Afros chill out on a Canada goal? 10? 11? 20?

3:59 - What do you figure the Vegas line would be on this one? (gambling is wrong)

4:04 - Kazakhstan takes two penalties in 20 seconds -- there should be a rule against that -- 17-2 are the shots.

4:06 - And there we go. Canada works the PP for Jamie Benn's second of the night. It's 3-0, still a minute plus on the second penalty.

4:18 - Andrei Yankov is the Kazakhstan 'keeper, by the way. He's short. The TSN panel has told us that a few times. He's also likely to stop more than 50 shots tonight. Welcome to your 15 minutes Andrei. Try to enjoy them.

4:26 - Second period in about two minutes. By the way, I checked. The comments section does work. So, go ahead. Let me know I'm not talking to myself.

4:31 - Second period up and running. And Canada just scored...Cody Hodgson. Make it 5-0

4:37 - So I lost my stream and missed a goal. I did just pop in for Jamie Benn's hat-trick. More than half the game left and it's 7-0. I'll get the sixth goal ASAP.

4:40 - There should be a mercy rule. Seriously. What purpose is there in playing the next 35 minutes of hockey?

4:43 - Kazakhstan gets third shot on goal. About half way through game.

4:47 - It might be time to start looking up the record for most goals scored in a single game.Memory tells me 14, but I must figure that out...still 7-0.

5:00 - A re-boot of the system to try and stabilize the web feed and...two more goals from Canada. It's 9-0. 42-10 are the shots. Ouch.

5:02 - Second period is over. Again, how is this good for anyone. It's almost trite to say it, but really...I understand the need to develop the game, but there has to be a better way than having a team get smoked 9-0 through two.

5:06 - A thought. Keep the 10 teams in the the event. However, seed the groups so that the top five teams are in group A, the next five in group B. Play games within your group with the top team from group B crossing over to play the fifth place team in group A in a pre-quarterfinal game. Then the winner of that game plays the second place team, with the third and fourth also playing. The lowest seed remaining then plays the top team in the semi with the other two playing off in the others. The winners play for gold...Or just make it an eight team event again, but the idea of 10 is to expose teams to top level hockey.

5:12 - I have 14 as the over/under, by the way.

5:18 - And we're off...Evander Kane makes it 10-0 quickly.

5:22 - The debate now is whether you "back off." Conventional jock logic is ruling the day - no, you can't, bad habits formed, etc. Here's the thing. Yes. Yes, you can back off. It would be fine to drop back and practice your trap game.

5:26 - Kazakhstan to the PP! Biggest shut-out win by Canada in World Juniors history was 15-0, by the way. Twice the Canadians have scored 18 goals.5:31 - As I type Canada is on another PP. But, Kazakhstan is doing an OK job of killing. Small battles, eh? 56-10 are the shots. So, 10-10 in the shots v goals competition.

5:37 - Probably the most free flowing period of the game. It's apparent that, no matter how many bad habits it may cause, that the Canadian players are more interested in getting the hell home now than scoring another goal. About 9 min. left, still 10-0.

5:40 - Of course that doesn't mean they won't score. Twice. In the time it took me to refresh the screen. Make that 12-0. There is still 7 min. left. Shots 61-11.

5:42 - STOP CALLING PENALTIES REFFIE! Canada to the PP.

5:45 - Canada is on a seven minute power-play because a Kazakhstan player gave the ref the finger. And Jordan Eberle just made it 13-0.

5:48 - Far be it from me to take a goal away from a Bull. P.K. Subban got credit for that last one. Canada will be on the PP for the rest of the game.5:50 - Canada gets its second touchdown. Stefan Della Rovere. 14-0.

5:54 - Just because...Canada to a two man advantage to close it out.

5:55 - Like they weren't going to score. Tyler Myers. 15-0.

5:57 - Mercifully this is over. Make it a 15-0 final.

5:58 - Without much to break down in this one, I'm going to close it up here. Comments are always welcome, obviously.

5 comments:

So, is Canada's development program now that good, or have other countries simply fallen off? Remember that we actually lost to these guys ten years ago, and there was a time a few short years ago when the Czechs were very competitive at the World Juniors. What gives?

It's a good question. The Czechs, especially, were a mess. In soccer, the big European powers barely give a second thought to u-20 tournaments. To them, if a player is worthwhile at that age they are with a pro team. Maybe some Euro teams are leaving their best behind to get better development in the pro systems.